A Technique...Thanks to Audrie; Card Stock...Thanks to Jimmi

Check tomorrow night (Tuesday) for news about the One-Layer Wednesday Challenge, which will return this week!!!


Today's cards demonstrate a technique introduced to me by Audrie (girlgeek101). She hand-wrote the instructions and wrapped them around a bottle of Glimmer Mist (dazzling diamonds) she sent me, along with all sorts of goodies you've already seen on this here blog o' mine.

The Technique: First, you ink up a stamp with markers. I used SU markers, which are water-based. Then, spritz it lightly with the mist, and stamp onto watercolor paper or really heavy cardstock like Gina K Deluxe, which is what I used. I actually let the marker ink dry a bit so it wasn't too goopy when I stamped, and that worked perfectly.

See? It's easy, but the slight shimmer (which I couldn't capture in pixels) and watercolor effect of the block images are simply lovely. I tried it with a lightly patterned stamp and got an unappealing blob, though, so I recommend sticking with block images for this particular technique.

Also, I simply MUST thank Jimmi for kindly sending me a wonderful selection of Gina K's designer paper and colored card stock, which I'd never tried before.

It's all of the highest quality (no surprise if Gina is involved!) and in the yummiest colors, and the green card above is a piece that Jimmi sent. It's a close match for SU's green galore (that's the marker I used)...only I like it better than green galore because it's not so eye-wateringly bright.

Jimmi also sent me two weights of Gina K white card stock. This delighted me because, although I love and have used the heavier weight for a while, I'd never handled the lighter weight, which is the same white and would be perfect for layering without adding too much weight. White on white...wonderful!!!!

Plus, that yellow is the prettiest I've ever seen. You may have noticed there's a shocking lack of yellow on this blog, but I will make room for that one!

So thank you, Jimmi and Audrie, for making today's cards possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!


Supplies
Leaves
stamps: Papertrey Ink (Beautiful Blooms, Simply Jane)
ink: Memento London Fog
paper: Gina K white, PTI dark gray, SU almost amethyst
accessories: Glimmer Mist, SU almost amethyst marker, dimensionals

Butterfly
stamps: Amuse butterfly, PTI Mega Mixed Messages
ink: Memento London Fog
paper: Gina K white, green; PTI dark gray
accessories: Glimmer Mist, SU green galore marker, dimensionals

Follow the Butterflies

I've noticed a number of small, yellow-greenish butterflies flitting about in the past few weeks, so I colored one for a card!

The stylized butterfly is stamped in Memento London Fog on Gina K Deluxe Card stock...my favorite for coloring with Copics. And yes, I colored with a couple of the 9 Copic markers I own. Go, Me!
What are your favorite spring critters? I smelled skunk the other night when I took Daisy out for a walk. Skunks are not my favorites...but they can be cute--and scentless--on stamps!

Supplies
stamps: PTI Modern Basics
ink: Memento
paper: Gina K
accessories: Copics

Still Punchy...But in Pink

I wanted to combine my layered punched flower with Background Basics: Circles from PTI. Here's what happened.

If you look closely, you'll see random circles in the border stamp are glittered. Fun, eh?

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Background Basics: Circles, Signature Greetings
ink: Memento
paper: PTI white, SU pretty in pink, pixie pink
accessories: circle and flower punches, glue pen, glitter

Getting Punchy for Mom

Mother's Day is right around the corner. How did that happen?

I punched my way to this card using Marvy punches. I love the layered punch look, and using a monochromatic color scheme keeps the whole card visually simple.

Mom's favorite color is blue. She loves flowers. And sparkle. I think she'll love this card, too.

The strip of glitter is simply a strip of ScorTape with glitter poured on it. So easy, but it grounds the flowers and keeps them from just floating on the card.

My mom doesn't read this blog so her card will be a surprise. She's a real artist, and if she wants a mouse image, she draws or paints a mouse. And it looks like a mouse.

She kept that gene for herself. When I draw mice, they don't look like mice. Moose, maybe. Or moles. Drawn by a very nearsighted elephant with a pen in her trunk.

And that's why I punch and stamp my art.

Why do you punch and stamp your art?

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts
ink: Memento
paper: PTI white, SU ballet blue, bashful blue
accessories: punches, glue pen, glitter, ScorTape

My Final Word on the Coldwater Creek Dress

I had to make a super-CAS card with the inspiration of this dress.

Here it is.

And after the day I just had, I'm off to watch the A&E's Mansfield Park, which I've never seen before but found on DVD at the local library. Jane Austen might save me from curling up in the fetal position and sucking my thumb.

Or maybe someone should sing me Soft Kitty, STAT!!!!

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts
ink: Memento
paper: PTI
accessories: ribbon

Thank You, GinnyB

A few days ago, reader GinnyB sent me a link to this dress at Coldwater Creek.

Oh. My.

I just had to run to my chaotic and extremely unsatisfactory craft space and make something.

Something like this.

Old Hero Arts woodblock flowers are so pretty!!!!

Now, the above card was perfectly satisfying, but I decided to experiment with some different stamps and orientations. The second card I made was appallingly ugly.






Do you want to see it?









Of course you do. You want to mock it just like I do.






Here you go.

Do NOT try this at home!

I had run out of the lighter green ribbon and thought, hey, the PTI flowers are ugly in black anyway, so maybe bright green gingham might improve them, distract from them, whatever.

Sadly, it did not work.

Of course I couldn't let those ugly black blobs be the last word on this fab challenge, so I tried the whimsical outline flower and butterfly stamps in the Hero Arts clear set from whence the hello stamp comes, and created a fun, blinged card that made me very happy.

So, thank you, GinnyB for kindly thinking of me when you saw that dress. It's beautiful and a wonderful inspiration piece!

Supplies
stamps: discontinued Hero Arts, except for the black blobs, which are from PTI's Beautiful Blooms
ink: Memento
paper: PTI white
accessories: various ribbon, rhinestones

Make a Mistake? Just Bling It!

That's what happened with this card. I smoodged (that's a technical term) the corner treatment and had to add a tiny bling. Then the bling looked all lonesome and made your eye go to the corner, not the focal point. So I added some randomish bling to the bottom border. Not a bad save!

I decided to add the corner treatment because the card looked unbalanced without something up in that corner.  Post-its on the border stamp allowed me to ink just the dots I wanted, but somehow a smidge of ink got on part I didn't want to stamp, thus necessitating the bling.

I love the gray with orange. What's your favorite color to pair with gray? Inquiring minds want to know.


Supplies
stamps: Papertrey (Gracious Vases, Background Basics: Circles
ink: Memento
paper: Gina K deluxe
accessories: Copic markers, Smooch (carrot for the flower centers), post-its (to mask the border stamp to create the corner)